Partner in Crime
by MysticIris
Summary: A short fic about how Bushroot and Liquidator met prior to being Fearsome Five members.


**Partner In Crime**

Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck or any of the characters in this story. They are all property of the Disney company.

******

In the warm light of the Greenhouse, surrounded by literally over a hundred different plant species, Dr. Reginald Bushroot was up early taking stock of his gardening supplies. He shook his head as he realized he was low on almost everything, from plant food to fertilizer. Even his pruning shears looked a little dull and could use replacing. The upside to all this was that the biggest gardening sale of the year was happening next weekend and he would able to get everything he needed at a really reasonable price. The downside, of course, was that he didn't have any money, as usual. It wasn't like there was anyone out there that was willing to hire a half plant mutant after all.

Sighing, he knew this meant that he had to commit some robberies. Fortunately for him, there was a huge shopping spree going on at the St. Canard Shopping Mall. It was the perfect set up. After all, there would be plenty of people moving around in all directions that he could blend in with and even better, the store employees would probably be too distracted to notice if some of their funds went missing.

Putting on his long brown jacket, gloves and hat, he wished that he had a lighter outfit to wear since St. Canard had been suffering through a long heat wave. Sensing his master's discomfort, Spike trotted up to him and nudged at one of his hands, seeking attention. Patting his plant dog on the head, Bushroot smiled and remembered why he had to brave the throngs of civilians who shunned him for what he was and a possible encounter with that constant irritant Darkwing Duck. His plants, really the only thing that kept him going, couldn't take care of themselves.

"Stay Spike." He ordered as he began heading towards the door. The Venus Fly Trap gave a low whine of protest, but did as he was told. Smiling, he addressed the rest of his plants before he left to commit what would hopefully be a successful crime spree.

"All right, guys, I'm going now. When I come back, I should have enough money to get you all the supplies you need."

_Thank you master, _came the inward replies of his plants.

_Take care of yourself master. We'll be waiting for your return._

_Good luck master!_

Their wishes warmed his heart as he left his Greenhouse and moved along the hot streets of St. Canard.

******

Arriving at the St. Canard Shopping Mall without a hitch, Bushroot entered and was immediately caught in a throng of people heading to one big sale or another. Jostled back and forth for a moment, he regained his footing and broke free of the crowd. Relieved at not being trampled, the plant duck began scanning his surroundings, looking for an overcrowded store that he could start off with. Spotting a toy store in the middle of the first floor, he decided to start there and nervously approached the scene making sure that his collar was up and his head was covered. The store was exactly what he was looking for; parents and children running around everywhere, arguing and pulling on each other, with all the store attendants trying to break up the fights and save their merchandise. The registers were completely unmanned at the moment and he knew it was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, he slipped into the store unnoticed and inwardly called on one of the trees that were planted just outside the building asking them to lend him a root. The closest one to him obeyed and its long roots pushed their way up from the ground as quietly as they could right behind the registers. Following his instructions, they opened the registers, snatched all the money inside and placed it in one of the small brown sacks he had hidden in his coat. Thanking them for their hard work, they retreated back into the ground as he made a hasty getaway.

Merging back in with the crowds of people, he was relieved that things had gone so well. Bushroot had stolen money often enough since becoming a mutant, but he still wasn't used to doing it. He wondered sometimes if he _would_ ever get used to it.

Dismissing his uncertainty for the moment, he wandered around the first floor looking for more easy targets. He found a couple more overcrowded stores and robbed them using the same method as he had on that first toy store before moving on to the upper levels. The plant duck was fortunate enough to find that there were a few stores upstairs that used real plant embellishments that could help him get his dirty work finished.

By the time Bushroot hit the escalator to get down to the first floor, he was feeling pretty satisfied with his earnings for the day. He figured he would hit one last store before he called it quits just so that he had a little extra cash.

A semi-confident smile stretched across his beak as he scanned his surrounding for his last target. Not paying quite as much attention as he should, he ran right into a short mallard in a pink shirt and green sweater, who seemed to be dragging a completely unwilling little red haired duckling in a purple jersey along beside him.

"Hey, watch where you're…going?"

There was a pause before the last word and he knew that the duck had noticed his rather unusual complexion. Feeling very anxious now, he muttered a quick apology and hastily slid past him. Merging into a passing throng of people again, he only looked back when he thought he had gotten a safe distance away from the guy. Seeing no signs of short mallard or his daughter, he sighed in relief and made sure that his outfit was still covering as much of his green plant body as possible.

Stopping beside the candy store and seeing how crowded it was inside, he wondered if he should try robbing it as well. He had wanted to hit one more store, but he wasn't feeling quite as up to it as he had been a moment ago. Running into someone had been bad enough, but there was something very familiar about that mallard that he couldn't quite put his fronds on.

_Maybe I should just call it a day. I've made a good haul and after all, if I stay here much longer then Darkwing Duck might show-"_

Screams behind him alerted him to trouble as the signature purple smoke preceded the arrival of his least favorite person in the world. He took a few steps back, looking side to side for a good escape route as the voice of the caped crime fighter came from the smoke:

"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the termites that eat away at your roots! I am Darkwing Duck!"

At a lose for words, Bushroot could only raise his hands in protest as Darkwing pointed his gas gun at the wide-eyed, cowering villain.

"Alright, Bushroot, the jig is up! Come quietly or I'll be forced to use some of my highly potent weed killer."

"B-but, I didn't do anything…" He lied quickly, trying to buy himself some time. The trees outside were going to lend him their roots again, but it was going to be a minute or so before they could strike at his foe. "Really, I didn't!"

"Save you're sniveling, Begonia Breath." The superhero sneered, keeping his eyes locked on the quavering plant duck. "There's a whole bunch of robberies in this mall with your name on them. Now, suck gas evil-"

"Hey, DW, you really oughta try some of this caramel covered popcorn! It's really good."

Spinning around quickly, Bushroot recognized the overly large duck in a pilot outfit that always accompanied Darkwing Duck. He was happily chewing some popcorn and seemed completely oblivious to the situation in front of him. Taking advantage of the distraction, he called the large tree roots to the surface and had them slowly move across the floor, like snakes slithering up on their prey.

"Launchpad, do you mind?" The masked mallard had lowered his gas gun and was tapping his foot in annoyance. "I'm trying to vanquish a villain here."

"Oh, heh heh, sorry DW."

"Now, as I was saying-Whoa!! Hey!!!"

The plant duck wrapped the trees vines around the duck's legs and was currently dangling him upside down. Finding great amusement at watching his arch nemesis struggling to free himself, he couldn't help spouting one last jibe as he started making his getaway:

"Sorry to leave you _hanging_ Darkwing, but as they say, I got money to burn. See ya!"

"Not so fast, Bushroot!" Darkwing said as he raised his gas gun and fired the weed killer.

The actual shot missed him by quite a bit, but it did land in front of him and the noxious cloud blocked his way out. Cursing, he was forced to run the other way before the weed killer hit him.

"Hang on, DW!"

Taking a glance behind him, he saw the large sidekick struggling to pull Darkwing out of the root's grasp. He wasn't successful yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they were after him. Running towards the escalators, he decided his best bet was to find somewhere to hide until the masked mallard gave up.

_How does he always find me? _Bushroot wondered, not for the first time, as he ran up the escalator frustrated and upset. _Why can't he just leave me alone for once?!_

Reaching the top, breathing heavily due to all the extra weight he was carrying in his coat, he sprinted forward looking side to side to find someplace he could hide for a while. Up until this point, he'd been fortunate in the fact that everyone in the mall was giving him some space since he'd been announced to be some kind of criminal. Thus, he was more than a little surprised when he looked back in front of him to see that he was on a collision course with a rather large man in a big brown overcoat and matching top hat. The plant duck might have found it odd that the man in front of him was wearing an outfit quite similar to his own, covering his whole form from head to toe – if he hadn't been so focused on trying to stop that is.

"Hey, watch out!" Bushroot cried out, hoping to get the man's attention before hitting him. It got the figure's attention, but not in time for him to move out of the way. The last thing he saw were a pair of strange blue eyes widening in alarm before green mutant slammed right into him.

Bracing for the impact, Bushroot was more than a little astonished when he ended up going right through him and sliding a short distance on the floor. He just sat there for a minute in his soaking wet clothes, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Craning his neck around to see that the person he'd just run through was nowhere in sight. All he could see were the man's clothes and a large puddle of water.

_What in the world? I didn't kill him, did I? _He thought horrified as he crawled up to the puddle to examine it. _I didn't mean to! I mean, how is that even possible?_

Timidly, he poked at it with one of his leafy fingers only to draw it back in surprise when the puddle formed eyes and moved. He gave a frightened yelp, scooting back a little as the puddle rose up slowly forming the figure of a tallish canine. Slowly taking in what he was seeing, he noticed this dog didn't have any feet and that his body seemed to be constantly flowing, bubbling and dripping. Meeting the hollow blue eyes, Bushroot was relieved to see that the dog's impassive face had softened and he didn't seem to be angry. Without thinking, the plant duck said the first thing that came to his mind:

"Well, you don't see that everyday…"

This caused the dog standing before him to snort and chuckle a bit. Then, he cracked a wide smile and replied in a loud confident voice:

"Tired of looking at the mundane, the ordinary and just plain dull every day criminal? Then, gaze in wonder at the Liquidator, master of all liquids!" With that, he gave a small bow and a wink. "I'm glad that you're impressed, especially since you don't look so ordinary yourself."

Bushroot blushed a bit, realizing that he had been gawking at the aqua dog in front of him. He couldn't help it though. The last time he had been so surprised by anything was when he saw a tree move for the first time.

Looking away briefly, he finally noticed that his hat was gone and his jacket was partially untied, revealing his green skin and purple petal hair. Fiddling with his jacket for a moment, he looked up again as the dog, or the Liquidator as he called himself, addressed him once more:

"So what's your hurry? Is there some special sale on plant food you just have to get to?"

That's when the plant duck remembered his peril and glanced behind Liquidator just in time to see Darkwing Duck reach the top of the escalator with his sidekick in tow. He gave the watery dog a nervous look and pointed at the danger lurking right behind them. Turning around briefly, Liquidator scowled at the familiar face of the local crime fighter. Looking down at Bushroot again, he gave him a sneaky grin and said in a low cunning voice:

"I see you have a reoccurring pest problem. Never fear! I think a Liquidator brand wash out is just what you need!"

Bushroot wasn't quite sure what this meant, but he was very grateful that the dog seemed willing to help him. He cowered a bit as Darkwing finally spotted him and raised his gas gun with a triumphant grin of his beak.

"Alright, you pathetic pansy! Time for me to dust your crops!"

The grin quickly disappeared off of Darkwing's face when a familiar watery canine stepped in front of his target with narrowed eyes and crossed arms.

"Liquidator?"

Seeing the other villain caught the masked mallard off guard, which Liquidator took full advantage of.

"The one and only!" He struck a pose as he said this, forming a hose at the end of his arm.

"No, wait!" Darkwing cried out, but it was too late. A large stream of water hit him square in the chest knocking him backwards into his sidekick. Both of them toppled over and started tumbling back down the escalator.

Watching the scene in amazement, Bushroot was beaming with admiration at Liquidator for lending him a hand.

"Wow, um, thank you."

Abruptly, the watery canine grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Don't thank me yet. We still have to get out of here."

The dog had a firm grip on his arm and when he began sprinting away from the scene, Bushroot nearly lost his balance and barely missed doing a face plant into the hard linoleum floor. Catching his balance as he ran, he was impressed by how fast the other villain was. The plant duck was running as fast as he could just to keep up the pace.

In no time flat, the pair had escaped from the mall. Bushroot was relieved when they stopped momentarily and he hunched over to catch his breath. Looking up at his newfound ally, he noticed that the watery dog appeared to be looking for something.

"What…now…?" He asked, in between gulps of air. A familiar voice behind him made him straighten up quickly in panic.

"All right, you devious delinquents, the jig is up! I got you right where I want ya!"

Darkwing was smirking confidently at them as he raised his gas gun menacingly. His sidekick looked far less confident then the crime fighter and he watched the pair warily as his comrade prepared to fire. The terror of the night shot his gas canister, aiming for the plant duck. Bushroot quickly dodged to the side, only to have Liquidator take his spot. His arm had morphed into a tennis racket and he made a perfect volley with the gas canister, hitting the surprised crime fighter on the bill, covering him and his sidekick in weed killer.

"Gee, Darkwing, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Liquidator sneered before turning back to Bushroot with a smug smile that said that he had some sort of plan. "Follow me!"

Doing as he was told, Bushroot sprinted behind the villain who was heading towards the middle of the street. Footsteps behind him told him that Darkwing was on his tail and he hoped that whatever Liquidator had planned was going to work. The watery dog stopped briefly in front of a manhole and the green mutant barely missed another collision with him as the ground began to shake. Suddenly, a large powerful stream if water burst out of the manhole, homing in on Darkwing and his sidekick as if it were a sentient being. Turning around to watch the scene, he actually cringed when he saw the pair panic and get hit with the jet of water, carried away down the street.

"Ouch." He muttered as the liquid dog walked up beside him, admiring his handiwork. "I almost feel sorry for them."

Liquidator raised an eyebrow at this, his mouth forming a small frown and his hands on hips. Bushroot raised his hands in protest.

"I said 'almost.' Believe me, seeing Darkwing get his egotistical tail handed to him is worth - well pretty much any price you could come up with."

The watery dog smiled at this, a smile that reminded him of the salespeople he saw on ads on TV.

"Well, you're in luck! Today's painful wash out of our local crime fighter is free of charge. Act now and get an additional all expenses paid secret getaway route absolutely free!"

Bushroot blinked at the exuberant ad jargon feeling bemused. His fellow villain seemed to spout these slogans like it was, well, normal.

"This way," He pointed to the now open manhole that led into the sewers. The green duck hesitated for a moment before climbing down into the dark tunnel below. Reaching the bottom, he squinted his eyes for a minute, trying to adjust them to the pitch blackness that now surrounded him. A loud splat next to him told him that Liquidator had jumped down into the tunnel. He reformed quickly and his hollow blue eyes glowed eerily in the surrounding darkness.

"I can't see anything down here." Bushroot said nervously, the plant side of him protesting against the lack of sunlight and fresh air. "How are we supposed to find another way out without getting lost?" The thought of the pair of them wandering around down in the sewers until they starved to death was not appealing to him.

He saw the dog give him a wide toothy grin, so all the plant duck could see of him was his glowing blue eyes and the disembodied smile. The entire scene reminded him on the Cheshire Cat and it was giving him the creeps.

"You have my personal guarantee that we won't get lost. The Liquidator has been through every tunnel down here and knows the best and most efficient routes for escape. Now," he felt a watery hand grip his wrist and tug it, "as they say, no time like the present. Let's get going."

"B-but, what if Darkwing comes back again?" He stammered out as they started walking down the pitch black tunnel. The glowing blue eyes turned his way again with a sly, disembodied grin accompanying them.

"Ah, but anticipation of enemy strategies is all part of the deal that comes with a Liquidator brand escape. If our dimwitted crime fighter does manage to find us – well, let's just say he's in for something wet and wild." He ended his sentiment with a reassuring wink and Bushroot couldn't help but grin back just a little.

With his wrist in the firm grasp of the Liquidator, the pair wandered in the passages below for what seemed like ages to Bushroot, but was really a little more than a half hour. They walked around at a quick pace, turning in a different direction every once in a while at the liquid dog's discretion. The green duck noticed them slowing down a bit as they reached a section of the sewers that was far less dark then the others.

"How much farther?" He queried curiously, having absolutely no idea where they were.

"A few more minutes," came the vague reply as they abruptly stopped walking. Letting go of Bushroot's wrist, Liquidator crossed his arms and gave a tiny smirk. "Ah, just as I predicted."

About to ask the liquid dog what he meant, Bushroot jumped when he heard and an all too familiar voice:

"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the toxin that pollutes your water. I am Darkwing Duck!" He spread his cape out for effect before pulling out his gas gun again, locking on to the pair of villains.

Bushroot took shelter behind Liquidator as Darkwing took a step forward, but not before noticing the sorry condition of Darkwing's usually pristine costume. It was wrinkled and washed out from the jet of water that hit him earlier. The liquid dog must have noticed it to for he began chuckling and pointing at the egotistical mallard, who's put his hands on his hips in irritation.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Oh nothing really. I just didn't know that wrinkles and washed out colors were part of today's terrifying crime fighting apparel." A small blush made its way to the masked mallard's cheeks as Liquidator continued. "It's so pathetic that even _I_ would be willing to sell you a new one."

"Let me guess, you'll sell it to me at the unbelievably low price of five thousand dollars a costume."

"No, ten thousand." He corrected with a wide smirk. "I don't give discounts to super heroes."

Bushroot gave a bemused shake of his head at the continuing banter, momentarily distracted when he thought he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Turning around quickly, he gave a small yelp when he noticed the large sidekick had snuck up behind them, carrying a large, open bag of cement above his head.

"Watch out!" He cried, grabbing his fellow mutant around the waist and jumping off to the side. They both toppled over in a heap narrowly avoiding being hit by the flow of cement.

"Well Darkwing, I think that little move has ended our negotiations." The water dog informed him in a low, dangerous voice as he got up again, glaring daggers at Darkwing and his sidekick. Bushroot looked nervously back down the tunnel as he began hearing a rush of water coming right towards them.

"Get on my back!" Liquidator ordered him. Not asking any questions this time, Bushroot jumped up and wrapped his arms around the dog's neck. He only had time for a small cry of fear before rushing water filled the whole passage and slammed right into them. Bushroot opened his eyes again just in time to see Darkwing and his sidekick get carried away by the water Liquidator had summoned, disappearing down the depths of the tunnel.

Inhaling some of the water that now surrounded them, he clung to Liquidator for dear life as the liquid dog traveled seamlessly through the maelstrom he had summoned. Bushroot's lungs began to burn from lack of air and he started to feel dizzy as they suddenly shot upward, carried by an incredibly fast jet of water.

Quite suddenly, the plant duck opened his eyes to find that they had surfaced and were standing on the ground of the surface world with the hot sun beating down on them once more. Letting go of the water dog, he collapsed to ground, swearing to never venture underground again for the rest of his life.

"Make a quick and successful getaway with the Liquidator!" He announced after a moment. Obviously waiting for some kind of response, he looked down at his side curiously to see the plant duck coughing, trying to clear his throat after all the water he'd accidently inhaled when they'd made their abrupt dive. Gently pulling him to his feet, the liquid canine patted him on the back until the fit had past.

"I guess I should have given you a bit more warning." The reluctant sentiment seemed to be Liquidator's way of apologizing as Bushroot's coughing fit finally passed.

"S'okay." Bushroot replied straightening up and wringing some of the water out of his coat. "I can't really complain especially since you saved me from Darkwing Duck. Um, why _did_ you help me anyway?"

He'd wanted to ask the dog this since their very unexpected meeting in the mall. He certainly wasn't used to people going out of their way to help him, so he wanted to know the answer. Liquidator blinked at him, then gave a casual shrug.

"It's simple really. I hate Darkwing and I'm assuming you do too." He saw the other mutant nod in agreement and he gave him a wide grin. "Any chance I have to humiliate our local crime fighter and cause him some pain, I take." Liquidator placed a hand underneath his chin and began stroking it with an amused expression on his face. "That tidal wave I summoned has probably carried Darkwing and his sidekick halfway to Bermuda by now. It'll be weeks before they come back."

He knew it was an exaggeration, but the sentiment still brought a smile to Bushroot's beak. "That sounds wonderful. Anyway, thank you for everything. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, um…." He trailed off for a moment and the plant duck realized he had never told Liquidator who he was. Slightly embarrassed, he held up one of his leafy hands and stated:

"Reginald Bushroot. Reggie for short, though most people just call me Bushroot." He added as they shook hands. His hand tingled pleasantly at the sensation of the cool water.

"Well, Reggie, it's good to meet another villain. If you're ever in need of my services again, you know where my hideout is." The liquid villain posed so that he was showcasing the large bottling factory behind him. "I'll warn you though. I rarely work for free, especially with Darkwing Dimwit drying up my funding."

Bushroot blinked as it finally occurred to him that Liquidator had probably been at the mall for the same purpose as him. He didn't know what Liquidator needed his funds for, but he doubted there were any job openings for water dogs any more than there were jobs for a plant duck like him. Feeling pity and guilt for robbing the other mutant of his chance to make some money, Bushroot reached into his jacket and pulled out half of his earnings. Liquidator looked surprised at first, but it was soon replaced by an expression of envy and a hint of admiration.

"Here, take these." The plant duck placed the money bags into the liquid dog's arms. "I hope it makes up for at least some of the money I cost you today."

"Why, thank you." Liquidator replied, sounding very pleased. Yet, at the same time, he noticed the dog was raising an eyebrow a little bit at his gesture and the hollow blue eyes seemed to have a calculating look to them. Bushroot rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, wondering if he had done something wrong. He decided that it was probably time to go home before he overstayed his welcome.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now." He began walking quickly down the road, stopping briefly to wave at the other villain. "Thanks again!"

Bushroot kept his gaze firmly planted ahead as he headed back towards his Greenhouse, relieved that he was finally safe. Now completely off his guard, he strolled carelessly down the road unaware that he was being followed by a moving puddle of water.

******

Arriving at his Greenhouse, feeling pretty tired from the day's events, he immediately pulled the remaining money bags out of his coat and placed them on a nearby table. Even without the ones he gave to Liquidator, the haul was still pretty good. He would be able to get everything he needed for his plants. Throwing his wet coat on the ground, thankful to finally be free of the thing, he strolled casually into the middle of his home, listening to the greetings of his plants:

_Welcome back master!_

_We're glad you're safe. _

_You didn't have any trouble, did you?_

He reassured them all that he was perfectly fine and was momentarily distracted from their chit chat as Spike came bounding up wanting attention. Patting the plant dog on the head, he was caught off guard when one of his roses asked him an unexpected question:

_Who's your friend, master?_

'_Friend?'_ He parroted confused.

"Ah, nothing quite as peaceful or charming as a Greenhouse completely filled with plant life."

Bushroot spun on his roots to see the familiar figure of the Liquidator standing just a foot or so behind him. He began running his watery fingers along the petals of one of his daisy hybrids.

"You know, you could probably make some money selling this one. It's got some very unique coloring to it."

"You-" He pointed one of his leafy appendages at the liquid canine who was now facing him. "You followed me? Why?"

"Well, you know where my hideout is. The Liquidator figured that it would be a fair trade if he knew where yours was."

"If you wanted to come with me, you could have just asked. There really wasn't any reason for you to sneak up on me, was there?"

"Ah, but why settle for an ordinary hello when you can have a surprising entrance?"

Bushroot opened his beak to say something, but no words came out. He couldn't really think of anything useful to say to this piece of ad jargon. Frustrated, he closed his eyes and shook his flowery purple head.

"You make no sense."

"That's my line."

At this, he looked at the dog in surprise and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You gave me half your loot even though I knew nothing about it, spouting something about gratitude and then you just walked off. Villains don't do things like that unless they want something."

The plant duck stared at him for a second before a frown darkened his features. "You thought I was trying to trick you, didn't you?"

"Yes," he admitted simply, a wide, devious grin appearing on his face, "and whatever you're trying to pull, I'm not falling for it."

"I'm not trying to 'pull' anything!" Bushroot retorted angrily. "I was just trying to say thank you for what you did and–oh just forget it!"

Turning around and throwing his hands up in the air in defeat, he gave a sharp cry when Liquidator reemerged right in front of him and placed his wets hands on his slender shoulders, halting his movement.

"Alright, there's no need to get all testy. Four out of five dermatologist studies show it's not good for your complexion. So," he continued, speaking before his fellow mutant had a chance to, "you really did just give me that money as thank you, simple as that?"

"Yes," came the short, aggravated reply.

The liquid canine then placed a hand under his chin and began scrutinizing Bushroot questioningly. It made him more than a little uneasy.

"What?" He demanded after a moment of awkward silence.

"Has anyone ever told you you're in the wrong line of work?"

The plant duck scowled at this, but said nothing. He knew he wasn't really a good villain and he had never really wanted to be one in the first place. Still, having someone else present this idea to him didn't exactly make him feel good.

"Has anyone ever told you that it's not nice to be so blunt?" He asked sullenly.

The liquid dog merely shrugged, glided up next to him and put one of his thick watery arms around his shoulders. Giving him a wide grin, he started speaking in a reassuring voice:

"So, maybe you're new at this whole villain thing? Not to worry! We all have to start somewhere. With a little guidance and practice, I guarantee you'll find you like this kind of work. You certainly have potential with those powers of yours!"

"Um, thanks, I guess."

"No problem! Now, how about a house tour? It seems like you've got every single plant species there is in here."

"Well, no, not quite. That isn't really possible. You, um, really want to see them?" He asked incredulously. Nobody he'd met had ever wanted to spend time looking around his Greenhouse.

"Why would I ask if I didn't want to?" Liquidator replied, raising an eyebrow.

Bushroot smiled at this and signaled at the watery canine to follow him. An hour or two passed as the plant duck led his fellow villain around his home and introduced him to the different species he'd grown over the years. He had quickly forgotten his irritation over Liquidator's sneaky entrance and was quite surprised to find that he enjoyed the others company. Even though he seemed a bit conceited, he was also charismatic, friendly and didn't seem to mind being around Bushroot.

It was dark outside by the time Liquidator decided to leave and as Bushroot watched him drop into puddle form and depart, he tried to remember the last time he'd spent so long with another person.

Stretching and yawning, he moved towards the center of his Greenhouse and asked his vines if they could make a bed for him. They immediately obeyed, weaving together and forming a kind of hammock, which the plant duck stretched out comfortably on top of. Staring into space for a moment, he began pondering his meeting with another villain, another mutant like him. Liquidator had helped him even though he didn't have to and had even hung out with him afterwards. It was almost like having a friend…

_I really shouldn't get my hopes up again. _Bushroot thought shaking his head. _It was just a fluke that I met Liquidator and I bet he was just being polite by asking to see my plants. I'll probably never see him again anyway._

Closing his eyes, the tired plant duck immediately fell into a deep sleep that was completely uninterrupted…

******

…Uninterrupted that is until he felt a very cold splash of water drenching him from head to toe. Giving a startled cry, he scrambled up so fast that he ended up tangled in the vines that held him. After a moment of futile struggling, Bushroot felt the vines release him and he fell flat on his face into the dirt. Groaning, he tried to look up at the ceiling to see if one of his pipes had started leaking again when he found the culprit standing just a foot away from him. Liquidator was giving him a triumphant smirk, obviously pleased by the results of his handiwork.

"Rise and shine! Everybody knows that early planning leads to bigger profits!"

"What are you talking about? Bushroot sat up and glowered at the aqua dog as he tried to rub some of the water out of his eyes. Liquidator merely looked amused at his drenched companion and didn't seem fazed by the plant duck's annoyance at him.

"Not a morning person, I take it."

"Well, I don't usually spend my mornings soaking wet. If you wanted to wake me, a small shake would have sufficed."

"Ah, but why settle for the ordinary morning wake up call when you can wake up to a refreshing dose of water? Besides, I thought a half plant like you would appreciate an early morning watering."

Bushroot slapped a hand on his forehead. It was too early in the morning for him to deal with the overly energetic and pushy water dog.

"Well, I'm awake alright. What do you want?" He asked wearily.

"Weren't you listening?" Liquidator told him as he gripped Bushroot's wrist with one of his wet hands and pulled him to his feet. "I thought we might get an early start, go on the town, find some easy targets to rob and have a little fun."

He gulped at the mention of more robberies. "'We?'" He repeated nervously.

Liquidator chuckled at this. "Of course, we! I may be a villain, but you don't think I'm cruel enough to wake you up for no reason, do you? Besides, this is guaranteed to be fun." He added as he began pulling Bushroot's arm, forcing him to follow behind him at a fast pace.

"As much fun as yesterday?" Bushroot had to ask, thinking about being chased around by Darkwing and the narrow, not to mention extremely wet, escape they'd made.

"Exactly!"

"That's what I was afraid of…" He muttered under his breath as Liquidator dragged him outside his Greenhouse and down the grassy hill.

"You didn't have any plans today, did you?" The aqua dog glanced back at him, saying this as if it were an afterthought.

"Well, no, not really." The plant duck told him truthfully. He never usually did, seeing as there was never a whole lot for him to do except spend time with his plants.

"Then, there's no point in sleeping the day away. Why not enjoy it?"

In spite of how much he hadn't liked his early morning wake up drenching, Bushroot felt his grumpiness fade away after that last remark. He found it was hard to stay mad at Liquidator. Breaking free of the dog's grasp, he hastened a few steps until he was walking side by side with the watery dog. The plant duck's gaze went to rising sun, whose rays were giving him energy and lifting his spirits.

"So, why do you want me to tag along?" He frowned as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. "You don't want me to be your sidekick, do you? I can tell you right now, I'm not interested."

"'Sidekick?' Hardly. Actually, I was looking for someone to fill the position of partner in crime. I think we could both benefit from this deal and our combined powers will make us practically invincible. What do you say?"

He weighed the option in his head for a short moment before he replied with a happy smile and a warm feeling in his heart.

"Sure."

Liquidator gave him an approving grin before rushing forward to his destination. Bushroot followed quickly behind him, thinking that his days were going to be a lot brighter from now on.

******


End file.
